Thread: Anyone here quit smoking successfully?

I just read a news article that mentions a study has shown that from a cancer pov, e-cigs aren't better than regular ones. They tested this on lung tissue cells and watched how they reacted in terms of turning cancerous. Turns out the micro particles are not that good either. E-cigs are better for the rest of your body because they don't inject thousands of bad chemicals into your system, and better for your lung capacity (better oxygen transport) but the actual lung cells don't like it better than regular smoke and develop cancer at similar rate to regular smoke.

Or at least that's what at least 1 controlled study has shown recently.

This thread is actually a very inspiring thing to read for anyone who is trying to quit, well done!

Originally Posted by Bruno

I just read a news article that mentions a study has shown that from a cancer pov, e-cigs aren't better than regular ones. They tested this on lung tissue cells and watched how they reacted in terms of turning cancerous. Turns out the micro particles are not that good either. E-cigs are better for the rest of your body because they don't inject thousands of bad chemicals into your system, and better for your lung capacity (better oxygen transport) but the actual lung cells don't like it better than regular smoke and develop cancer at similar rate to regular smoke.

Or at least that's what at least 1 controlled study has shown recently.

While not challenging the study as I am not a doctor or scientist, I feel most "studies" can be rigged to find any result. I dont smoke cigs neither do I use e cigs. 50 years ago there were panels of MDs saying cigs were not harmful, so I guess time will tell.

I quit 4 years ago by getting on the patch, just used it according to instructions and was sucessful. I should mention that one morning on the porch with my morning coffee and cig I started having trouble breathing so I was very scared and could not have quit without that fear that if I continued to smoke I would die. I was a musician and played alot in bars and other sordid locations. Looking back the nicotine helped me to be in situations that were not at all healthy on any level.Once I was off the patch for about half a year I quit playing, without the buffer of the nicotine I couldn't do it anymore. Quitiing for me was and is a major change, in the first year I realized I had not the slightest idea of how to cope with any stress, I always just had a cigarette. Over eating became an issue as well as obsessive hobbies, but I am glad to be free of that poison and am still learning to deal with the stress life brings by healthy means, walks, prayer, etc
Good luck it is very possible and worth it, but in my case although I didn't realize it at the time it was like losing a best friend, one who had always been there any time of day or night, always ready to help. Of course this friend was a liar and not out to help but actually kill me.
It's been about four years now,
Rob

Originally Posted by MandoRob

I quit 4 years ago by getting on the patch, just used it according to instructions and was sucessful. I should mention that one morning on the porch with my morning coffee and cig I started having trouble breathing so I was very scared and could not have quit without that fear that if I continued to smoke I would die. I was a musician and played alot in bars and other sordid locations. Looking back the nicotine helped me to be in situations that were not at all healthy on any level.Once I was off the patch for about half a year I quit playing, without the buffer of the nicotine I couldn't do it anymore. Quitiing for me was and is a major change, in the first year I realized I had not the slightest idea of how to cope with any stress, I always just had a cigarette. Over eating became an issue as well as obsessive hobbies, but I am glad to be free of that poison and am still learning to deal with the stress life brings by healthy means, walks, prayer, etc
Good luck it is very possible and worth it, but in my case although I didn't realize it at the time it was like losing a best friend, one who had always been there any time of day or night, always ready to help. Of course this friend was a liar and not out to help but actually kill me.
It's been about four years now,
Rob

Were you wearing the patch when you had a smoke? IIRC, it says that if you decide to smoke, remove the patch at least 30 minutes beforehand, as the double dose of nicotine can cause a heart attack. Have read many stories of people smoking while wearing the patch and having grave medical consequences.

Originally Posted by bill3152

While not challenging the study as I am not a doctor or scientist, I feel most "studies" can be rigged to find any result. I dont smoke cigs neither do I use e cigs. 50 years ago there were panels of MDs saying cigs were not harmful, so I guess time will tell.

I'm 100% with Bill. After smoking for 30 years, I quit 5 years ago, and I don't use e-cigs. I'm not a doctor, or a scientist. I'm also not a conspirousy therorist or an "anti Big Business" type. But I do know here in the states there is a big push to try to get e-cigs outlawed, and it seems to be funded by the pharmaceutical companies that make the lozenges, the gum, and the patches.

edited to add; For the sake of contributing to the thread; I quit using nasal snuff (the kind you sniff- picture Bugs Bunny doing his Napoleon impression) and for something to keep my hands busy, I carried a yo-yo. Yes, in my late 40's I carried a yo-yo around, and would take it out and throw it. Because beating the nicotine was easy compared to un-learning the 30 year habit of leaving the building to bend my elbow every hour.

YMMV to any of these comments here as different things affect or reach different people. And as long as you have a valid reason that may motivate you then you will be fine. Millions have quit and so can you if you want to. For me the slavery of running outside to smoke and giving so much of my money to the govt in taxes was what drove me. I can say I never noticed any health issues, but how would I know anyway? And at the end there may be hell to pay. I do smoke 2 or 3 cigars a month in the summer, winter time hardly if at all. One thing I will say is when I smoked cigs and smoked a cigar I had to have a cigarette too! WHILE smoking a cigar, go figure. And anyway to get off even if it means nicotine replacement is fine by me. If you study what happens when you quit and understand WHY you are lightheaded(body not used to full oxygen) and other issues you will be better able to tolerate them as healing instead of not knowing why your feeling a certain way.

Part of lung or head and neck cancer initiation and then progression stems from an inflamitory response and the cells that migrate to the irritated tissue providing an environment that is friendly to cells at risk. e-cigarettes will still produce an inflamitory environment though not the DNA damaging chemicals of tobacco smoke. If you have DNA damaged pre-cancerous fields of cells you still may be at further risk from inflamitory related growth factors.

However- everyone out there please do anything and everything to quit tobacco use. I had smoked cigars on the golf course until my research laboratory started working on the genomics of head and neck cancer about 15 years ago. I never had another cigar after working with the surgeons and seeing the resulting quality of life issues. These are seriously ugly diseases.

Originally Posted by Bruno

I just read a news article that mentions a study has shown that from a cancer pov, e-cigs aren't better than regular ones. They tested this on lung tissue cells and watched how they reacted in terms of turning cancerous. Turns out the micro particles are not that good either. E-cigs are better for the rest of your body because they don't inject thousands of bad chemicals into your system, and better for your lung capacity (better oxygen transport) but the actual lung cells don't like it better than regular smoke and develop cancer at similar rate to regular smoke.

Or at least that's what at least 1 controlled study has shown recently.

Nicotine paralyzes the cilia in your lungs, when you wake in the morning you cough because the hours without nicotene have allowed cilia to start slinging particulates back out of your lungs. Irritation to the cells in your body cause cancers, lip and throat cancer from dipping tobacco, lung cancer from asbestos exposure or years of smoking, uv rays on the sun, etc all cause irritants. Im sure nocotene in ecigs is bad too, just less additional additives in some cases.

Im sure nocotene in ecigs is bad too, just less additional additives in some cases.

Here let me fix that for you... I'm sure nicotine in ecigs is bad too, just with different additives.